The online learning environment provides the opportunity for remote groups of students to interact with instructors and each other. Most web based learning platforms facilitate synchronous online discussions between participants. These discussion forums are designed to replicate the face to face tutorial setting and provide a medium for the…

This study explores the impact of an exploratory, minimalist intervention based on the principles of social communication training that aimed at promoting positive interactions between mother and child and increasing child initiations in mother-child communication. Encouraging data indicated a shift towards a more positive interaction style…

Investigates what skills are best able to account for orthographic analogy use during early reading and tests the finding that there is no independent association between reading ability and orthographic analogy use. Suggests that phonemic awareness and reading experience best account for analogy use, while orthographic analogy use contributes to…

Investigates whether experience with a balance beam task at which children succeed could be transferred to a related problem (balancing familiar everyday objects) and the extent to which transfer of knowledge was assisted by adult scaffolding and a condition where children worked alone. Finds that the scaffolding condition was most effective. (CMK)

Presents the findings from a small-scale investigation in four schools in northeast England focusing on the relationship between teacher motivation and student motivation during the students' participation in design and technology project work at Key Stage 4 (ages 14 to 16.) States that the information depicts a possible link between student and…

Evaluates the self-esteem scores of 1303 children, including Chinese children from Britain and Hong Kong and white British children, using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Finds that British Chinese have significantly higher self-esteem than the Hong Kong children, but there is little difference among white British children. (CMK)

Investigates the structure of attitudes to school subjects and the causal relationship among attitudes, levels of aspiration, and achievement focusing on 280 California high school students. Reveals that attitudes to school indirectly influenced achievement, while aspiration significantly affected achievement and mediated between attitudes and…

Addresses the construct as well as the criterion validity of the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) for the assessment of secondary school minority group students as compared to majority group students in the Netherlands. Reveals that the subtests of the DAT measured minority and majority students' cognitive abilities equally well with one…

Investigates the relationship between thinking styles and personality types by having 600 undergraduate students from the University of Hong Kong respond to the Thinking Styles Inventory (TSI) and the Short-version Self-directed Search (SVSDS). Reports that thinking styles and personality types overlap to a degree. (CMK)

Reports on an exploratory study of 200 managers in Finland, Poland, and the United Kingdom that investigated whether there are national-cultural differences in cognitive style and whether these differences are related to individual, occupational, and cultural aspects of socialization. Shows differences between national groups in cognitive…

Evaluates the efficacy of teaching and learning in higher education, investigating the relationship between students assessment of their own academic proficiency, learning style, academic locus of control, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement. Reports that perceived proficiency increased after completing the modules and perceived…

Reports the outcome of an empirical study exploring the possibility that cognitive style may be an important factor influencing performance on certain types of tasks in management education. Explains that 412 final year undergraduate degree students studying Management and Business Administration were tested. Presents the results. Includes…

Argues that there are substantial problems with the theoretical foundations of David Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI). Notes anomalies with the relationship between Carl Jung's style and Kolb's use of possibility processing. Argues that these anomalies make it impossible for defining firm conclusions about the nature of Kolb's learning style.…

Explores the relationship between three psychological factors (1) field dependence/field independence; (2) convergent/divergent dimensions of cognitive styles; and (3) working memory capacity and their effect on word association test responses for biological concepts, as well as grid questions. States the research study was completed in three…

Investigates whether social loafing (the tendency for individuals to reduce their input when performing as part of a group) existed in a collaborative educational task employing groups of three and eight participants. Indicates that individuals working in smaller groups were more productive than those working in larger groups. (CMK)